Getting familiar with my subject Portrait; Start Over 🤣😂

Forgiveness

 
 So I begin here in charcoal on paper 14"x 17", with the head, too much too early at this time.
 The photo depicts the composition for the figure and head, but the background will become a small section of the universe/outer space rather than what is shown in this photo.
 I'm referencing Andrew Loomis,  drawing heads and hands. My next step is to draw once more in charcoal to iron out some of my problems here, then move to drawing the same but better, in oil on canvas. Studies of planes in the face and head coming next.
Ordinarily in portraiture "the look a like" is not important, but in this case it is somewhat important. Further studies and practice of parts of the face, the hands in oil on canvas are forthcoming.
 It's a challenge here to pull up our socks and restore some sort of integrity about things once again.
 So I may appear to be jumping around from one painting to another until better settled, Haha!🤣😂

KingstonFineArt

The upper lip is too long

Forgiveness

Yes there are many problems in this already from my not being familiar enough with the subject matter, so I stopped here and will try this again today, with greater accuracy. Here I basically drew "what I thought" I was seeing, rather than "what is true". I'll be more patient in following Andrew Loomis and not jump ahead of myself.haha!

Forgiveness

 Here's an update, this is a much stronger foundation on which to build confidently.
 I have just a few more details to add to this drawing & his face should look more round and move on to oil on canvas for practice.  

Forgiveness

This is much closer to being true even though not quite right just yet.
 Ready to continue drawing in oil on canvas now, more practice & development, including planes of the face, coming up next. 
 Btw, our faces are not symmetrical.
Isn't this attempt so different than my 1st?🌞🤣

Suez

I’m not a fan of the Loomis face template shortcut for homing in on individual’s likenesses.

I’m sure it comes in handy for commercial art, which is more reliant on quickly knocked out generic faces, but for real people it’s very flawed.

 Seems to turn faces more into a phone camera style type very yin image. Your subject has a yang face.

Richard_P

I still see things wrong here. I don't think you should draw anything on the canvas until you've corrected the errors first.

Forgiveness

I'll be working on scrap canvas for practice, where I'll have the freedom to make mistakes and correct them by simply whiping clean and remaking lines. Much of my practice sessions will take place on canvas from here.
 I may have detail practise sessions for eyes, hands and background to add as well.
 A lot to do before getting to the final painting here.

KingstonFineArt

To get good at drawing figures and faces you need to start Fram scratch. Use and proportional tools and methods as concepts to check against. You can only measure against what you see. 
First you draw. Then you make quick core against standard points of relationship. Using your brush handle or proportional divider. Draw some more. You'll have to wash and repeat until it's right. 

I suggest you do a a. painting without a pencil mark. Just start painting. Correcting, Painting. Correcting. and so on til it's right. Right not necessarily correct or perfect. Oil paint is made for this approach. So forgiving.
Relying on a restrictive master drawing makes a painting stilted. Lacking expression. 


 The finish is here.
https://jimkingston.com/wetpaint/2021/3/11/the-beginning-of-the-end

KingstonFineArt

Sorry this is the correct link. The other one was good though.
https://jimkingston.com/wetpaint/2021/2/21/hello-its-me-youre-looking-for

Forgiveness

Thank you @KingstonFineArt, that's the support I was looking for here. This is my inspiration for moving directly to canvas, let me sort myself out on that.🤣😂
 I have a scrap 16"x20" canvas ready to begin on today. I can take progress photos as I move along here. I will begin from scratch on the canvas, just drawing with a brush and oil paint.
Looking forward!!!🌞🤣
 Btw, many great portrait artists begin the process just like this!

Violet

Look forward to seeing your progress photos!

Thanks for the great progress photos and info @KingstonFineArt

Forgiveness

Not happy so I scraped everything off and stained once again, let it dry overnight.
Wrong size brush for drawing this, was using #5 filbert lines got way too thick and lost legibility of the drawing so I stopped here, I'll retry with a #1 round something like that.
But I'm certainly on the right track here with measurements using the proportional divider. Looking forward.
 I'll post in a new thread.